The jury in a London court sided with Audun Carlsen, 29, who claimed that the former Culture Club frontman (real name George O'Dowd), 46, had handcuffed him and beat him with a metal chain.

(The musician – best known for such '80s hits as "Karma Chameleon" and "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" – admitted to cuffing the escort, but said it was because he suspected the man of tampering with his computer.)

According to the U.K.'s Press Association, the singer looked grim as the verdict was delivered. The singer was released on bail until his Jan. 16 sentencing.

Judge David Radford warned Boy George that he was likely to face jail time. "The fact that your bail is being continued does not imply that this will be dealt with by a non-custodial sentence," he said, CNN reports. "I don't want any false expectations created."

This is not the musician's first brush with the law. He has a long history of drug abuse and, in 2006, spent five days sweeping the streets of New York as his court-ordered community service.